Posted on 12/24/2011 8:20:24 AM PST by shield
For those coming in late, let me summarize*: both Newt Gingrich and Rick Perry have been excluded from the Virginia Republican primary by the Virginia GOP. This has placed the VA GOP in an awkward situation, given that: they have excluded the current national and Virginian front-runner from their own ballot; have currently no write-in option on the ballot; do have an open primary that anyone can vote in; and generally have created an environment peculiarly suited for conspiracy theories involving Mitt Romney (and ones that won’t contain the word ‘Mormon’ anywhere in their description, by the way). The current defenses to all of this are “rules are rules” and “any campaign that couldn’t follow them are by definition poor campaigns:” I will leave it to the individual reader to decide just how either argument will play in, say, Peoria; I am frankly of the opinion that the above defenses are well-suited towards reassuring Romney and/or Paul voters – and will do very little to persuade the other 60-65% or so of likely Republican primary voters.
But since I’m telling Mitt Romney what won’t help his situation, it kind of behooves me to tell him what might.
(Excerpt) Read more at redstate.com ...
What I find to be a laughingstock is the absolute ignorance of many of the posters on this thread about election law in VA. Here are the rules under law to get on the ballot in a presidential primary:
§ 24.2-545. Presidential primary
A. The duly constituted authorities of the state political party shall have the right to determine the method by which the state party will select its delegates to the national convention to choose the party's nominees for President and Vice President of the United States including a presidential primary or another method determined by the party. The state chairman shall notify the State Board of the party's determination at least 90 days before the primary date. If the party has determined that it will hold a presidential primary, each registered voter of the Commonwealth shall be given an opportunity to participate in the presidential primary of the political party, as defined in § 24.2-101, subject to requirements determined by the political party for participation in its presidential primary. The requirements may include, but shall not be limited to, the signing of a pledge by the voter of his intention to support the party's candidate when offering to vote in the primary. The requirements applicable to a party's primary shall be determined at least 90 days prior to the primary date and certified to, and approved by, the State Board.
B. Any person seeking the nomination of the national political party for the office of President of the United States, or any group organized in this Commonwealth on behalf of, and with the consent of such person, may file with the State Board petitions signed by at least 10,000 qualified voters, including at least 400 qualified voters from each congressional district in the Commonwealth, who attest that they intend to participate in the primary of the same political party as the candidate for whom the petitions are filed. Such petitions shall be filed with the State Board by the primary filing deadline. The petitions shall be on a form prescribed by the State Board and shall be sealed in one or more containers to which is attached a written statement giving the name of the presidential candidate and the number of signatures on the petitions contained in the containers. Such person or group shall also attach a list of the names of persons who would be elected delegates and alternate delegates to the political party's national convention if the person wins the primary and the party has determined that its delegates will be selected pursuant to the primary. The slate of delegates and alternates shall comply with the rules of the national and state party.
The State Board shall transmit the material so filed to the state chairman of the party of the candidate immediately after the primary filing deadline. The sealed containers containing the petitions for a candidate may be opened only by the state chairman of the party of the candidate. The state chairman of the party shall, by the deadline set by the State Board, furnish to the State Board the names of all candidates who have satisfied the requirements of this section. Whenever only one candidate for a party's nomination for President of the United States has met the requirements to have his name on the ballot, he will be declared the winner and no presidential primary for that party will be held.
C. The names of all candidates in the presidential primary of each political party shall appear on the ballot in an order determined by lot by the State Board.
D. The State Board shall certify the results of the presidential primary to the state chairman. If the party has determined that its delegates and alternates will be selected pursuant to the primary, the slate of delegates and alternates of the candidate receiving the most votes in the primary shall be deemed elected by the state party unless the party has determined another method for allocation of delegates and alternates. If the party has determined to use another method for selecting delegates and alternates, those delegates and alternates shall be bound to vote on the first ballot at the national convention for the candidate receiving the most votes in the primary unless that candidate releases those delegates and alternates from such vote.
E. The election, or binding of votes, of delegates to a political party's national convention for the nomination of that party's candidates for President and Vice President of the United States through the presidential primary process shall be considered to be equivalent to a primary for the nomination of a party's candidate.
F. The cost of the presidential primary shall be paid by the Commonwealth pursuant to the provisions of the appropriation act.
(1999, c. 972; 2000, c. 379; 2003, c. 1015; 2011, cc. 570, 584.)
The State Board of Elections first notified the presidential campaigns on March 6th of the ballot access requirements. The campaigns have had since July 1st to collect the signatures they needed. They even had the great good fortune of having a statewide election in Virginia this November plus the annual gathering of Republican activists in early December to gather signatures. The state rules have not changed significantly since 1999.
This is what - the third state - where Newt won't be on the ballot? He missed the filing deadline for Missouri and perhaps Ohio.
Newt should be paying more attention to his campaign rather than Tiffany's catalog and traveling back to DC every weekend to hear Callista sing in the church choir.
The 2012 GOP field apparently finds following the rules too shackley.
But I have been involved with Petitions for Candidacy for many years and I know you must get 50% more Signatures than you need to assure you have enough legit Sigs to qualify. Lots of the Candidates didn't manage such and will now not be on the ballot. Yeah there is dirty tricks afoot in Virginia and many of the other Primary States but Damn it this is not some new development this is how it has been for years.
You've got to play on the field as is once the game starts and crying after the fact only shows you weren't ready for the Big Boy Games.
I've been screwing myself up to Vote for Gingrich (He barely made the grade to be on the Ballot in Ohio.) now that Cain is out of the picture. But no matter what I won't vote for Mitt.
Getting on Virginia’s ballot was a test of organizational skill and grassroots strength. It was also something much more mundane: it tested whether campaigns could pay attention to a calendar and read instructions. For those complaining that Virginia’s rules are too tough — the ballot access requirements have been largely unchanged since 1999. If memory serves, this is the first time in the three election presidential election cycles since then that the bulk of the field failed to make the ballot.
Right is still right, and wrong is still wrong. Longevity has NOTHING to do with it. In fact, look at you, you are living proof of that rule.
Post of the day. Congratulations Psalm 144.
“You’re right. This is not the state’s problem. It is a VIRGINIA GOP rule.”
GOP rules always helps to deter non establishment candidates by various means. They have never wanted the grass roots to be in charge in any state.
“This is not a law. The State does not require the political parties to submit their candidate lists 3 1/2 months before the primary election. It is an in-house Virgina GOP rule. Which can and should be revised.”
Not from the establishment perspective. This worked out perfectly for them. It was not after all a change from prior years was it? As for the 2 who qualified: Practice makes perfect, and submitting 15,000 signatures ensured no scrutiny and automatic qualification.
OK then they knew the state of play beforehand and didn't get the job done. Half the battle is knowing the obstacles the second half of the battle is adapting to them. Apparently Newt and the others only fought half the battle.
And that as we say in the Biz is the facts. Thanks for proving the point.
>> Getting on Virginia’s ballot was a test of organizational skill and grassroots strength. >>
NO, it’s a test of Virginia specific grassroots and organizational strength - which automatically means candidates who start late or gain strength late are at a disadvantage compared with perennial candidates or candidates who start fast and have connections within the current Virginia power structure.
And IMO, Virginia specific grass roots strength doesnt’ have a damned thing to do with who is viable now and I don’t care for any system that favors those who have ties to the Virginia establishment apparatus.
So yes, it’s a test of strength but a test that is false.
Amen to that.
Yeah, I notice you have the same habit here.
The only way you win arguments is by insulting those who disagree.
Course it’s only in you own mind but hey, long as you feel good eh sport?
I am not a Mitt fan, but I doubt his team is responsible for pushing the primary dates up. No state wants to hold it’s primary after the candidate has been decided (as happened in 2008).
Insults are the last refuge of the weak minded. I don’t like the VA rules and I certainly don’t like your inability to form an argument without insult.
And you two are leading the pack. Check my post #81.
The state sets the ballot requirements for the primary. We have an open primary. There is no registration by party. The The State Board of Elections first notified the presidential campaigns on March 6th of the ballot access requirements. The campaigns have had since July 1st to collect the signatures they needed. They even had the great good fortune of having a statewide election in Virginia this November plus the annual gathering of Republican activists in early December to gather signatures.
Yes we can all Cherry Pick where a candidate did something hypocritical. Nevertheless, economically speaking Paul is definitely more conservative than Newt.
I would not accuse anyone of sabotage unless you have actual proof. This sure makes Newt look very incompetent.
Thats just mean to say on Christmas Eve. It's true, but mean. LOL
But Romney does....Congratulations! Since it's all about “Organizational skills” that matters. Organizational money skills that is. And the help of the Virginia Governor and the Virginia LT Governor who happens to be Romney's campaign manager. (Not discrepancy there fer sher!)
What's the weather like there? We have ice on our deck. :)
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